I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for shielding the intake of a jet engine, and more specifically to the design of a shield which may be selectively deployed in a blocking orientation with respect to a jet engine inlet and which may also be employed as an air brake for reducing the speed of a jet powered aircraft.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art jet aircraft have commonly employed hydraulically operated flaps which may be deployed to create a surface substantially normal to the streamlines of the aircraft to thereby greatly increase the wind resistance encountered by the aircraft during its flight. These flaps are commonly referred to as "air brakes".
Airplane crashes have been attributed to jet engine failure occasioned by foreign matter entering the air intake of the engine. Lives have been lost when aircraft have encountered flocks of birds, heavy hail and the like. Accordingly, it is deemed desirable to provide a shield which will divert any such foreign objects from entering the intake of a jet engine. However, it is a requirement that the shield not preclude the flow of air into the intake in quantities necessary to provide proper combustion. Then too, it has been found that if the air pressure at the intake of the jet engine is reduced, a phenomenon known as "cavitation" may take place wherein the working parts of the engine may be pitted and eroded, unduly necessitating frequent overhaul and repair.